Primary Historical Sources Enrich Undergraduate Mathematics Instruction

By: Erin R. Moss, Co-Editor of DUE Point, Millersville University of Pennsylvania The purpose of TRIUMPHS (TRansforming Instruction in Undergraduate Mathematics via Primary Historical Sources) is to develop, test, and evaluate projects for students based on primary historical sources related to core topics in today’s mathematics curriculum. These projects take a “guided reading approach” to...

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Remote, But Not Alone: School from Seclusion

by Tim Chartier @timchartier My college experience didn’t turn out how I imagined. Twenty years ago – well before ‘social distancing’ entered the lexicon — I had to stop attending classes and learn from home. In 1990, I had just begun my studies at Western Michigan University. I was thrilled to be there because I...

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What Would Martin Gardner Think?

By Michael Dorff, MAA president @mdorff44 and Michael Pearson, MAA executive director As most of our readers are likely aware, Scientific American endorsed Joe Biden for president -- the first time that this storied magazine has made such an endorsement in its 175 year history. The endorsement is not framed as a partisan statement, but...

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Fun Math For Girls

By Natalie Shell Consider this school-themed math problem: 10 students are at their school dance. If each student dances with each other student once, how many combinations are there? Now, if everyone wants to dance with the popular girl twice (note that this girl is popular because of her dazzling intellect), how many more combinations...

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No One-Size-Fits-All: Participation in the Mathematics Classroom

By Megumi Asada and Pamela E. Harris How many of us continue to use participation as a percentage of final course grades? How much do we weigh the value of participation in the learning process as grades are assigned? In this process of assigning participation grades, what equity issues arise that we are not aware...

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Stop Making My Class So Hard to Teach

by Tim Chartier @timchartier I look forward to the energy of the first day of class. There is hope in students' eyes as to what the term will offer.  But, this term is different. For the first time as I walk into the fall, I am bracing myself for a skeptical or even pessimistic classroom. Why? I'm teaching...

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Fibonacci in Pictures

by Keith Devlin @profkeithdevlin With colleges and universities currently either struggling with plans to re-open their campuses to new and returning students or else gearing up to deliver at least the first term of instruction remotely, it is clear we are living in a very different world than just a year ago. Indeed, different from...

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Paying Attention to our International Students

By: David Bressoud @dbressoud David Bressoud is DeWitt Wallace Professor Emeritus at Macalester College and Director of the Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences The August 7, 2020 issue of Science ends with a moving contribution from Ruofan Yu, a postdoc from China who spoke of the incredible stress that she and all international students...

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5th Annual PIC Math Student Showcase Pivots Online For An Exciting Two-Day Event

The MAA Preparation for Industrial Careers in Mathematics (PIC Math) program prepares mathematical sciences students for a wide range of careers post graduation. Students are presented with a real-life problem from business, industry, or government (BIG) and have the opportunity to work in groups over the semester to solve the problem. At the conclusion of...

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Preparing Graduate Students to Teach Undergraduate Mathematics

By: Erin R. Moss, Co-Editor of DUE Point, Millersville University of Pennsylvania The College Mathematics Instructors Development Source (CoMInDS) project supports colleges in providing high-quality professional development to graduate Teaching Assistants (TAs). The work of the CoMInDS team addresses the unique needs of faculty Providers who are tasked with either creating or redesigning departmental programs...

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